Ripples of fate
by Chaosmaiden07
Summary: Haru was tied of living the same existence, so desperate for some meaning she takes a summer job on a whim. When an application for 'fairy tale fixer' and 'retrieval specialist' came across her hands she thought well, why not? But she didn't plan on a whole new life opening up before her. Oh hold
1. Chapter 1

**I don't own the Cat Returns. But a super big warm thank you to YarningChick! This is my first publish Cat Returns fanfiction, and with YarningChick's encouragement I'm posting it. I've always loved the Cat Returns and I hope this bring a smile to everyone's face who reads it.**

 **If you want to read some awesome stuff go over and read YarningChick's! They are the best!**

 **Since it was a little hard to follow I'm redoing this chapter but stay tuned more to come!**

When Haru had woken up this morning, it had started like a regular day. At 25 years of age she'd had a steady job, that she hadn't been late for work, or anything else since Hiromi, her best friend in high school, had set all of the clocks in Haru's home for 5 minutes ahead.

Haru had again looked up at the sky and wondered why they were drifting apart. The lack of school, and opposing schedules, and work had combined resulting that Haru' and Hiromi's once close friendship had, well. If Haru was honest with herself, at this point they were friends, but, Haru's heaved a sigh. She missed the closeness. Hiromi was starting to have interests that were a great deal more varied then Haru's. Haru supported anything that Hiromi did, but there was only so much mind numbing computer programming she could take.

That and the florescent lighting. Where Hirimi liked to spend her time was in a white cell devoid of color. Oh Hiromi might come back fighting that beige was a color as was ivory, but for Haru, they were all classified under white. Needed some blue, brown, color's on the color wheel.

Haru continued her normal path, feeling a little a little lost as she faced the dilemma before her. As unwilling as she was to 'lose' a friend, Haru shook her head wondering. It's not like she had very many. Hiromi had seemed to be acclimating to her new work with the other people there.

Then Haru felt that familiar guilt, had she been _jealous_ that Hirmi was so easily able to make friends? Had she unwittingly sabotaged Hiromi's chances with the new boss? Or was she overthinking it again?

Haru' walked faster trying to outdistance that problem.

While Haru would freely admit, pliantly of witnesses, had been clumsy, but she was far more active and had to move around instead of sitting at a computer and typing numbers and letters that didn't make complete sentences and code that it seemed like a foreign language

Needless to say, with her head fully engaged with the internal battle, Haru hadn't seen the huge puddle, or the very flat concrete.

Her nemesis klutz had sized the moment and Haru had fallen straight into the only puddle on both sides of the street.

Bracing herself for the old feel of hitting concrete or some other hard material, Haru had waited eyes shut for about ten seconds for impact. Then very wary opened her eyes. Her mouth dropped open, at the sight of a huge procession of cat's, all human sized and wearing clothes. Haru concluded that she had hit her head. Thus it was completely plausible that this was all in her imagination.

So she felt no guilt whatso ever about taking advantage of her temporaty jump into her imaginaction to study the cats.

Espacally the very handsome tom that was staring back at her in absolute shock.

Haru sensed his gaze so she took advantage of his frozen state to study him in turn. His eyes were a light green and other then having a cat head it looked like he had walked of Downton Abbey. The crisp Edwardian suit, with it's slightly tan color matched his orange fur.

Haru wondered if it would be wildly inappropriate to reach out and pet him.

Always had a thing for orange tabbies. But black cat's always seemed to find her first.

Then her second thought as sound from the cat's behind him, and Haru realized they were on a pier over water, Haru wondered that if he _were_ a cat would he have a tail?

Haru's gaze shifted to the big white cat behind the orange one, his mouth was moving as if he was saying something to the orange cat-man, but Haru's felt her face scrunch as she couldn't hear anything.

Then a 'pop' like an air plane coming down for a landing, and Haru covered her ears as the sheer noise assaulted her.

The white cat was very very loud, and it sounded as if he was screaming after the quiet. Haru winced as she realized the 'screams' were just the cat laughing.

"Baron, of all cat's you-"

He quieted instantly as a old black cat strolled up, his eyes were gleaming like mad and his fur, Haru could tell since she had been around so many black cats that his once black fur was grey tinged. His rubbed his paws together, smile greasy, "Your vow was accepted. It seems that Freya-Aphrodite herself has answered your challenge Gikkingin." The old cat looked over at Haru, while another cat, much slimmer, and looking like a slightly older and darker version of the tabby.

The newest cat put himself between the younger tabby, the white cat and Haru and the old grey streaked cat.

Haru heard the underlying anger, "Just because my son vowed that he would only marry a girl that had the opposite appearance-"

The old cat guffawed into full bodied laughter, he pointed a paw at the tabby, "The exact vow was, 'from the sky or under the sea'" He pointed above and Haru stared in disbelief as water trickled from the sky, the clouds were wrong too. Instead of white they were blue, while the blue that should have been the sky was the white of fluffy clouds.

"This female has accomplished that." He leered towards Haru again, "She's quite the babe."

Haru felt the hair on the back of her neck rise.

The tabby jerked then moved to shield her from the older cat's gaze.

The older fat cat just shifted, eyes starting to turn a little wild, he gave the older suited cat a creepy smile, "I think I'll marry the doll instead." He lunged suddenly and Haru instantly jumped back, only to feel water, and cold.

Her vision blurred again, and Haru was staring soaking went, at the puddle. Haru quickly looked around, no cat's only humans some ignored her, one or two shot her a strange look but kept on walking to where their destination was.

Back in her hometown. Haru mentally sent a thank you up to heaven.

There was no way that she had actually seen a procession on cats. With several cats who had vowed to marry a girl who fell from the sky, or up from the water.

Haru nodded to herself, yep, no way. Something whizzed by her peripheral vision, and already jumpy reflexes kicked had taken over. Haru only knew that she had to dodged. Unfortunately, and slightly more painfully, she felt something solid and metal collide with her head. She felt her hand begin to rub it, still feeling a ringing from colliding with metal at such a high speed. looking around slightly bewildered.

Haru pulled her head back a little, had she really run into a telephone pole?

Haru craned her head again, but the city, satisfied with her renewed clumyness had evidently decided to obey natural law. It sat solidly as a deliberate testimony, to the fact that it wasn't a mythical kingdom or a pond, with a bunch of cats. That, Haru breathed out, weren't wearing human old fashioned clothes. Haru racked her mind, Edwardian clothes? Haru shook her wet hair. Glancing around her training kicking in.

First off, since the tiny puddle could in no way leave her entirely soaking wet. It was time to do something about that particle portal. Even if it was only to her imagination. Didn't want any nightmares or someone else falling into it.

Haru looked around, a little more carefully, since her head was spinning a little, found a rock, then decided on the mulch by the plant that was growing near. Picked up a handful, and spread it in the puddle to disrupt any other surface magic.

Some one else could deal with it. Haru had reached her quota for crazy, long before had started home.

Then feeling eyes on her, she was soaking wet, Haru tugging her earring, a gift from Yuki, and the water around her clothes seeming to evaporate.

She stood, acting like nothing was amiss. Casually brushed at her skirt, still feeling the water droplets. Then pretending that she wasn't wet, headed down the street.

Her mantra of just act casual. Act natural, act natural. Started to repeated it's familiar refrain.

"Just get home, Haru." Haru told herself, "Just head around the corner, get to the bus, get on the bus. Wait five stops, get off the bus go up the stairs. Open the gate and pretend like nothing happened."

Haru focused her mind on breathing, and let her habits take over. Going around the corner, she tried self-bribery since that always seemed to work, "you can pretended this day never happened." She joined a light crowd as they waited for the light to change, then when it did the group headed across the street. Haru peeled away from them to stand in a line, oh so causally, with three or so people at the regular bus stop. Haru felt the lack of anonymity as the crowd drifted away.

After a few minutes, of over-exposure, exactly at 310, the bus pulled up stopping at the sign. The familiar hiss, then squeak of the doors opening. Haru almost stepped on another passenger's foot in her haste to find a bit of cover.

Ironically the bus itself was called the cat bus.

Once inside, Haru hurried to claim a spot by the door.

Haru felt the warning twinge in her legs, and obediently spotted then sat in an open chair by the front of the bus. The driver, a familiar fixture of her route home, gave Haru a double take, looking concerned. Haru racked her brain for his name, but her nerves was so jumbled and spacey that she simply couldn't remember. She gave him a smile that she hoped wasn't too wobbly, or out of place, then turned to look out the window at the familiar secrecy. It looked like he was gathering up his courage to say something, but the familiar blond that seemed to stalk his route decided to board. Taking one of the two seats directly behind him.

Knowing the blond would be the last to board. He reticently closed the door as she distracted him with conversation. Thank heaven Haru wouldn't have to engage in small talk.

Haru kept her gaze out the window. It soon shifted from a passive activity, to actively hunting for anything that might seem like a cat. The bus stared to move, and Haru after looking out the window, realized that it was a very good thing she was sitting.

Suddenly sure that her legs were going to give out on her. Haru focused on breathing steady breaths and trying to act outwardly normal.

Her leg muscles however spasumed, unnoticed by anyone else but Haru could feel the steadily slowly growing burn that promised she was going to feel much worse in the morning.

Haru mentally pulled away from the task of looking for cats, certain that in current condition she wouldn't be able to do much about them, instead to focus on preparing herself to not hobble or limp off the bus.

Skip that Haru thought sourly, she was going to have to climb up the long walkway into the temple area. Haru tried not to think about the stairs, while usually didn't have a problem her legs felt like they were going to buckle at the mere thought of stairs, much less the really long one that was almost straight up.

Haru startled at little as the bus pulled to another stop. Four stops left she encouraged herself. Then blinked, looking at the sign again, three stops. She could handle three stops.

She heard the bus doors close, then could feel as the bus started making it's ascent up into the mountain. Haru spied two passengers noses wrinkling, but it wasn't enough to alert them to any particular smell, or where it was coming from.

Haru glanced at the windows, then turned and hunkered further down, plastering a daydreaming expression on her face. It had gotten indulgent looks from nearly everyone around her that wasn't family, and the the people on the bus were no exception.

It had the added benefit of putting her out of the air currents, that ran through the bus thanks to open windows, so no one person got a whiff of very obvious mineral water. Hopefully they would think the smell from outside of the bus.

The bus stopped again. Haru stopped herself from flying out, and racing up the steps. This was her usual stop, but her world at that point had narrowed to only two more stops, and the big open area that signaled the place where she sometimes worked. At least the entrance of it.

The bus started again, Haru's nears started screaming at her, stop sitting like a, well a sitting duck. Haru forcibly shoved them aside. The passengers on the bus, none of them hitting the stop button, had the bus go smoothly past.

The last stop peered out, half hidden by elegant trees, and Haru jammed her thumb into the stop button. The bus crawled to a stop, Haru stood, the bus stopped, and Haru made her way to the other exit of the bus. Stepping down the steps rather lightly. Haru mentally congratulated herself as her shoe stepped on sidewalk. She took a shaky breath, and took a few more tentative steps away from the bus and towards the temple.

The bus Haru registered had driven off. Haru feeling her legs temple made her way slowly over to one of the shaded half walls.

She breathed in and out deeply. Flexing her feet, then wincing tested stretching moving her knees. Finding her lower legs achy but not burning Haru let out a sigh of relief.

Haru then hauled herself to her feet. "I can do this." She much slower then she would have liked, never the less made her way up the gentle path into the restricted access of the side part of the temple. The living quarters where volunteers and the current batch of caretakers spent their time.

Haru felt an internal barrier drop, and the temple's welcome sign. As soon as she crossed the barrier it tugged at her rather flimsy at this point disguise. Haru let the illusion waver then vanish. It was only good for one spell, since an apprentice had made it.

Revealing a soaked school girl. In wet clothes, and wet hair.

Haru shivered. Hurrying her steps into the shrine. The door was opened. Haru rather used to the eccentricities of the residents at this point just headed inside. She absently closed the screen door shut behind her. Then pulled off her shoes wincing as she started to discover new pains. Haru peeled off her socks. Wrinkling her nose.

Hated wet socks. It was the crowning badness of the day. Bad days ended with wet socks. These had been lucky ones too. This was just not her day.

She set her shoes by others in the shoe area, as she felt a warm steamy breeze. Then smelled hot water, that meant a bath.

It also meant, Haru's face took on a dreamy quality, she didn't have to wait in line for one.

Gratefully Haru headed where the bath was. Pulling out her clothes from a cubby and setting them on the counter. Haru gratefully turned on the hot water. Then stripped as it was warming up, the steam felt wonderful. She's would have gone in with her clothes on but they were wet, and they were cold.

Haru just soaked in the heat from the hot water. Letting it seep into and sooth her aches and pulled muscles. Hungary, a good half hour later, made her reluctantly get out of the shower, dried herself off, and put new clothes on. Wrapping the towel around her wet clothes.

First was find food, second drop her laundry into the washing machine.

There was a soft tapping on her window.

Haru twisted on her bed turning so she could look at her window. A big black familiar bird hovered, he tapped the window again. lurching to her feet Haru shuffled over to the window and pulled it open. Then turned and headed back to her soft warm bed. Curling up on it, Haru noticed that it wasn't as warm as when she had left it. Instead she pulled the comforter around herself.

The hot shower had warmed her up, but after sitting still had caused a loose of body heat that Haru was starting to feel rather keenly.

A soft warning caw, and the bird flew in, did a little sharp turn and landed perching neatly on the bed post.

He took in girl covered in a quilt that was bright with happy colors, a serviceable dresser, large mirror, and closet.

"If your going to turn in early you might want to get into your pajamas." The crow suggested. He turned his head, "Did you want me to get them for you?" He offered.

Haru unwilling to depart from her warming quilt dragged it and herself over to the dresser, the bird turned to the wall to give her privacy, while she changed, and then flopped back onto the bed.

Toto could only do so much in his bird form. The lack of hands severely restricted folding any type of clothing. The most he could do was drag it.

"Alright I'm decent." Haru called. The crow turned back, and hopped closer to where Haru had bundled herself up. "Thank you Toto."

Toto smilied. Then turned curious, he spread a wing to gestured to her current state, "Do you want to tell me why you came home soaking wet?"

"I don't exactly know where to start." Haru rubbed her head, "This has been a bad day."

Toto tilited his head, "As bad as your socks getting wet? Kind of bad, or just tripped infrount of someone you liked bad? What scale of bad are we talking about?"

Haru met his black eye, "The wet socks kind of bad."

Toto winced in sympathy. "Did you need me to drop white glue on someone freshly washed car?" Toto asked a little too eagerly.

Haru giggled shaking her head, Toto looked a little disappointed. Then offered, "Want to talk about it?"

"I don't want to bore you." Haru answered.

Toto shook his head, a wry expression on his face, "You've listened to my rants about the big white cat, and helped me come up with cat insults. I don't mind." He stretched his wings then tucked them with a neat flip of off his wings. He sat down covering his feet with his feathers giving Haru his full attention. His black eyes were curious.

"How'd you get wet?" He asked curious, starting off the topic. "Did you get caught in a rainstorm or something?"

Haru shook her head. Still not quite believing it herself. "I-" She used her palm to rub her forehead, murmuring, "This is going to sound so weird."

Toto just walked over to her sitting on her leg. She could feel his warmth already, "You can tell me anything Haru." His black eyes were sincere as he watched her face, his concern palpable. "You realize your talking to a talking crow." He joked lightly, trying to shake off her unhappy mood. "Things don't get much stranger." Haru chuckled, "It took me a bit of getting used to." Haru admitted.

"And you've done wonderfully." Toto assured.

Haru stroked his wings, always finding it meditative as she searched for a way to start, then just dove in. "After school, I tripped and fell into a puddle." Toto didn't even blink. "But when I opened my eyes, it looked like," Haru broke off. Toto waited patiently.

"I guess you would call it a pier, like a board walk extended into water. There were-" Haru trailed off.

Toto nodded to show her he was listening.

Haru blurted, "There were a whole bunch of cats on it."

Toto nodded again, showing that he was listening. He was clearly confused as to where the cat's had come from.

"They were all human sized." Haru rushed on, why did talking about it seem like it was more real? "And some were wearing clothes." Haru continued grateful not to be interrupted, even if she was starting to talk fast so she wouldn't be interrupted. "Some were regular cats, I think, but they were my size, and a few were wearing clothes, costumes the kind you see in those old Edwardian movies from the time of queen Victoria." Haru blinked, hadn't she already said that.

Toto gently poked her with his beak to keep her talking.

"Well. I have no idea how I got there since it was clearly all in my head, all I can think of is that I hit my head before I ran into the telephone pole. But I think a whole bunch of green cats showed up," How did she remember all this? Haru blinked oh, right it was her imagination followed no rules but it's own.

"I don't know what happened." Haru continued "If it were normally what I'd think about a whole bunch of green cat's would have shown up, and the cat closet to me, would have gotten shoved off the pier."

"And then you would have rescued the poor wet kitty?" Toto teased.

Haru wondered if she should have taken Toto's advice and gone into theater, this seems dramatic even for her.

Toto suddenly seemed very interested in her right hand.

Haru chuckled then continted with her fabricated story, ""It was pretty obvious that he couldn't swim because he started sinking, so," Haru paused for dramtic effect, "I pushed off the pier, grabbed his wrist and lugged him back to the surface. He grabbed the pier and then I realized he was a cat."

Toto nearly feel over, "A cat?" He repeated, bemused, "The little fact the whole time you've been describing him the whole story as a cat and then you just suddenly realized he was a cat?" Toto gave her a look of exasperation, "R _eally?_ Haru. That stretches the bound of reality."

"Artisilc embellishment!" Haru protested.

The to add insult to injury, Haru mimicked large cat ears on her head.

"I suppose he had a cat head and a human body, so he could wear a suit too?" Toto replied caustically. Not entirely rising to the bait.

"Yep" Hari agreed. "Very dashing." She giggled, "An orange tabby with cream markings." Haru's eyes went distant as she spoke softly, "He had the most vivid green eyes," She wrinkled her nose, taking a moment to puncture the idellic image, "and he smelt like wet cat."

Toto chuckled, "Well he _is_ half cat, or full cat." Toto waved a wing, "That's off topic." Toto pointed a wing, since he didn't have fingers that could flex and point, at Haru's hand, "What's that?"

"What's what?" Haru looked behind her to where Toto was pointing.

"Not behind you Haru." Toto spoke a little annoyed, "Your hand, what's on your finger?" Toto asked.

Haru looked at her hand noticing a ring for the first time. "huh. Never seen that before." She put her palm down, looking at the ring. It was a simple golden band, with a line of green running around the middle. The classical lines made the ring have the look of an timeless antique, with the center line being a a brilliant green emerald.

"It looks pretty." Haru admitted, "But I'm not one for jewelry." She used her other hand and pulled the ring, it stuck fast. She tugged harder, almost dislocating her finger. "It doesn't hurt does it?" Toto asked, a little alarmed at the amount of force Haru was staring to exert to get the thing off. Haru shook her head, twisting the ring and tried to tug it off again, then added more force. Haru grimaced, "It's stuck."

"That's a ring finger too." Toto murmured softly as he tilted his head.

Haru blinked at him, confused, "It's on my middle finger." She showed him her hand. The ring sat mockingly on her middle finger. The skin around it was a little pink from the tugging.

"Not a cat's." Seeing Haru's complete look of incomprehension, Toto lifted his talons. Three toed birds feet. "Cat's are like birds. They only count-" He paused, looked at his talons, then amended, "Ok, Cat's have four, well toes." Toto explained, "When a cat get's engaged or married the ring can go on either of the middle two toes on the fount feet. " Toto explained. He smirked, chuckling, "They aren't like you humans where if engaged on side of hand and only on one finger."

"So ring equals marriage?" Haru translated. Toto nodded, thoughtfully, "You might be engaged. I haven't heard of a cat taking a human, not for at least 8 or 9 cat generations."

Haru snorted, answering hotly, "To a _cat?_ I don't inter species."

Toto considered that, "The royal cat family used to take human brides, but they stopped after one or two almost wiped out their kingdom in retaliation. I think, the mothers made their sons promise not to take unwilling human brides."

"So then what happened?" Haru asked curious.

"Well." Toto leaned forward eyes gleaming, happily to oblige with his bit of historic gossip, "The king's didn't keep his word, so his wife refused to stay with him. Making his life miserable. So the crown went to his distant cousin. It's a side effect of that line, the king could only father one child. He was quite luckily that he had a distant cousin. But the catch was that every child of that family was female. So his family name died with him." Toto mused.

Haru nodded, "So I assume the females were quite capable rules?"

"Oh indeed. But one of the princess fell in love ect, and they had many kittens, boys and girls, happily ever after that sort of thing."

"But why?" Haru asked, "Couldn't have just," She snapped her fingers, "Up and had so many children.

"Oh, sorry. I forgot you didn't know that part. The family stopped visiting the human world and taking human brides. It lessoned the curse enough that could have more then one kitten."

"Oh."

"And by the time it happened the cat's were so used to the idea of a cat marring a cat was the norm."

Haru nodded, "Now that makes more sense." Haru looked at the ring again, "So how does one get this off?"

"There are several rules that have to be followed when a male cat called a tom proposes. One." He held up a wing, feather curled so it looked like a feathered finger, "That the lady has to willingly and knowingly accept it, with full comprehension of what she is doing."

"So informed concent." Haru summarized.

"Yes, you could put it that way." Toto conceded.

"And the second?"

Toto shrugged, "They don't apply in this case. But who ever put it on, has to take it off. If the caster, or putter-on-er isn't available then a blood relative or close family member can."

"Isn't that the same thing?" Haru questioned.

"Not really, cat's adopt all the time."

"So your telling me." Haru asked a little testily, "That the only way I'm getting this ring off, is by getting the guy who put it on me to take it off?"

"Yep." Toto answered, "The ring is partially invoked by magic. Hence why tugging at it won't free your finger."

Haru leaned back against her bed, "I'm going to bed." She announced.

"Your already in bed." Toto pointed out dryly.

"I'm going to sleep then birdy."

"Sweet dreams." Toto bid Haru a good night, "Did you want me to get the light?"

"Please, and thank you." Haru snuggled futher into her quilt. Laying on her side and rearranging her blankets, the rustle if wings and the click of the light switch went off and the lights turned off.

Toto flew back to the semi open window, smiling at Haru who met his gentle black eyes. "May the wind rose to meet you."

Haru smiled at the saying, "May the wind always be at your back. Goodnight Toto, and good hunting for your mulberry bush."

Toto smile grew he ducked his head in acknoldgement, then with the wound of flapping wings left the room.

Haru shifted her pillow, closing her eyes. She'd decide what to do in the morning.

 **There is the first chapter! Whew, thank you to all who read it. Hopefully I'll be able to publish a chapter each week**

 **Again that you YarningChick!**

 **Hey guys go read her stuff it's really good!**

 **Let me know about any improvements or helpful tips!**

 **Does anyone know how to find the Cat Returns Community? I'm having a bit of trouble trying to locate it.**

 **Yay I'm writing Cat Returns! Wha hoo!**


	2. Out of the 'real' world

**Hello all, and welcome! Per usual I don't own cat returns or any of the other references that I've placed within the story.(Lotr, marvel, 10th kingdom, Disney) Any helpful tips or ways to impove would be much welcomed! Let's start chapter 2!**

"Haru! Your on!" Ross called spotting the wavering portal.

"I'll be right there!" Haru shouted back. Hurriedly Haru grabbed her usual bag of supplies, then charged out the door and over to the usual area

Haru sat up from her desk, then grabbing her 'quick bag', namely all of her supplies and her to-grab-in-a-hurry-bag raced over towards the wavering shimmering spot that hung in midair.

Haru's quick pace closed the space between her and the shimmering portal between two large very old trees. Haru vaguely remembered that portals liked to hang in the same spots, trees, especially old ones like these had an affinity for grounding portals. It made the transition from this world to the kingdoms one much easier. At least that's what Ross told her.

If someone didn't know what they were looking for the portal was no more then a slight distortion of light, and that light was all that there was to give the portal away. Haru walked through, and felt the familiar sensation of tripping, and her eyesight blurred. Staggering, and slightly pitching forward, Haru righted herself.

There was the blessed smell of pine, with thank heaven no car exhaust. Haru looked around trying to get her bearings. Walls of stone crumbing, Haru lifted a shoe, sand underfoot. Glancing around as the place righted itself, Haru wondered if the room was intentionally made to look like a set out of one of the old medieval period dramas Yuki was so fond of.

Haru smiled as she spotted a candle. Not just any candle but a distinly moden electric candle. Haru walked towards it an noticeing foot prints headed that way, "Yuki?" Haru called.

"Here!" The female voice chipper and cheerful. "Here. Here." Came the echo.

Haru trotted towards the end of the hallway. Stepping lightly around a corner, a women about Haru's age, with the face of a classical beauty, looked up from her book. The most distinguishing thing about Yuki was that her hair was such a blond white that it looked silver. Her eyes bespoke the fact she was no albino for they were a sapphire blue that twinked with good humor. No matter how much sun Yuki got her skin remained untanned.

Haru came over, spotting the book, "What are you reading? I thought Ross said we were suppost to get mirrior or something."

"In a minute." Yuki protested, then handed over the book, "This is a clipping from the different places around."

Haru flipped through the pages, 'Prince Wendel, great grand son of Snow White coronation, bluebell scare, evil queen freed! Trolls loose in country side,

"He looks like a prince brat." Haru thumbed past more pictures and headlines. Was it the arrogant tilt of his chin or the unconscious "I'm better then you' vibe that leaped off the picture. "Keep looking." Yuki tapped the page. Haru obliged.

Wendel as hero. Haru held up the book, one the page with the picture of the prince holding up a sword. Shooting an exasperated look at her best friend, "Short version please we're going to lose daylight."

"Fine." Yuki sighed, gesturing to take the book back, "This book is several years old. So." Yuki made a face thinking, "Okay the supershort story is that," Yuki paused in her narration. Haru used to this waited paciently. "So Snow White and Evil Queen." Yuki stared smiling, "Evil queen dies."

Haru blinked, pulling back, "That's abrupt."

"Shush, this is the short version. Snow White rules has kid, okay I'm just skipping to wendel."

"You go right ahead." Haru encouradged.

"Anyway, Snow White decendent, grandson or greatgrand's sons dad accidenly married evil queen's sucessor, he gets turned into a dog, comes to our world, runs into-" Yuki held up a hand, "Wait it get's better," Yuki grinned Haru sighed, "You just like embellishing."

"And you wanted short version," Yuki answered cheekily, "I'm giving you the short version."

Haru looked pointely at her friend, teasingly, "You short version is becoming the long version." She pointed out chuckling.

Yuki rolled her eyes heavenward, "Oh, Jesus. The things I do for my best friend."

"We _have_ to be best frineds." Haru beamed, chuckling, then playfully elbowed Yuki, "The other knows too much."

Yuki grinned, "True, okay serisly, back to story."

"Riiiight." Haru drawled, semi serious, "Prince Wendel's evil step mother is the actually heir to evil stepmother. Continue." Haru gestured dramatically for Yuki to take the stage.

Yuki rolled her eyes, not taking any offence in the habitual gesture, "You summed that up way better then me."

Haru nodded, half grinning, "It's a gift."

"So, here's where it gets a little confusing, the new evil step mother sends a half wolf after Wendel."

Haru pointed at the pictures, "Who's still a dog? Right?"

"Yep." Yuki smiled happily, "So he runs into the new evil queens daugher and the wolf finds them," Yuki waved a hand, "Anyway, there are trolls. So the daughter and her dad and Prince Wendel go back to where Wendel is from, and go on adventures trying to get Wendel back to being a human, and saving the kingdom from the new evil queen."

Haru stared, waiting for more, she opened her mouth and Yuki interupted already answering Haru's question before she could voice it, "And before you ask, her dad's still here, but the daughter and the wolf went back to start a resutant."

There was a pause. Yuki then added, "And they are married and had adventures in red riding hood's kingdom. Who's got a vigilantly and a sisterhood of red riding-hoods." Yuki thought for a minute, "Does that make then a coven?"

"Coven's are what witches are called. I dunno what a group of Red riding hoods are called." Haru thought about it, "Hoodies? Hoods?" She tried.

Yuki shook her head, "I'm sure they have a better name to call themselves. But that's it."

Haru stood, whipping off sand from her pants, "And what does this have to do with Ross's dictate of 'find the Snow White's with the magic mirrors' mean?"

"Oh." Yuki grimaced with distate, "That. My story lesson was _way_ better."

Haru smiled indulgently, "As your best friend I agree with you, it would make a great tv series, but we can't stay at Ross's camp without going and helping him out with a mission, however cryptic his instructions are. I think he practices sometimes." Haru admitted to her friend.

"At lest he doesn't say them in rhyme." Yuki pointed out positively.

"Don't give him any ideas." Haru responded sharply, "For all we know he could be working up to that. He's in his office all the time and no one seems to have any idea what he's doing."

"Well, Prince Wendel is now king Wendel, he's been ruling for a bit, don't ask me how long cuz I don't know." Yuki answered before Haru could ask, "You know how bad I am with dates when there is a story involved." Yuki then flipped to the last page of her book, "Here's the map of the different regions. Our's is the mythical 10th kingdom, not named to the troll kingdom, just so you know." Yuki said sternly.

"Perish the thought." Haru snorted, "What would trolls have to do with our usual modern world? I mean really?" Haru looked puzzled, then a slow look of horror as she turned to Yuki, who quickly read the look correctly, "No, there are no trolls in our world. There were some wild stories claiming they had that's all."

Haru nodded once, "Just as, a possible question in case we do run into trolls. How does one defeat trolls?"

"Trolls love shoes."

Haru stared at Yuki, blankly, "I'm not even going to ask how you know that." Haru said neutrally. Yuki's Cheshire grin was back and it was so big that it was beginning to hurt her cheeks from smiling so much. Haru broke down, covering her mouth with a hand and stage whispered, completely serious, "Was it a cinderalla thing?"

"Nope. I haven't the foggest idea why." Yuki had to hold her middle to keep from bursting out into laughter again. "B-but the old troll king used to have a pair of shoes that made it's wearer invisable."

"That's nice. But only inviasble he couldn't go through stuff?"

"That's immaterial Haru. That x-men's shadow cat power." Yuki sated with authority.

"Far be it from me to question _you_ on expertise of 'powers' be they marvel, DC or farytale in origin." Haru jibbed.

Yuki snickered, made the mistake of looking at Haru's expression and burst out in gales of laughter.

"Okay, now serisly." Haru tried to regin her the original point of the conversation, "What's the whole 'snow white' thing about?"

"So when the evil queen died, Wendel got the mirrors." Yuki summed up, "He and his wife couldn't have kids, so they somehow or another they bargained with somebody and got 5 girls for the 5 mirriors. We have to go find the girls, get the mirriors, and bring the girls back to Wendel if we can." Paused, "Perferably with a prince in toe."

Haru nodded, nonplussed. Standard hero slash princess retrieval. Haru made a mental note to try to teach princess how to prevent themselves from getting kidnapped. But in her experience it was a vacation more often then not for the princess in question. "That's fairly standard. Do they have a sweetheart they want to marry?"

Yuki shurgged, "I think we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Right now we just need to find the princesses, or 'House of White', as Snow White's dynasty is called, ironic since she's from a snow covered mountain kingdom."

"Let me guess the winter woods? With Snow White being a snow queen?"

"No. that's the daughter. Ironically named Snow and in that area I think."

Haru's eyebrows furrowed, "Is that okay? I mean if she's got winter powers, taking her to where there's summer might not be a good idea."

"Her real name or middle name anyway, is "snowdrop' after the flower. My report says that she's stuck in the winterwoods until we, or somebody get's her out."

"We can do that." Haru leaned over to look at the page, "Is Snowdrop the oldest then?"

"It doesn't say."

"Well," Haru tried to keep the annoyance out of her voice, "How many princesses are there?"

Yuki looked down, "Translated says, 4 traveling mirriors, well 2. One's smashed, one at bottom of sea." Yuki looked up, "I hope we never have to swim."

Haru gave a ironic smile, "I think you just jinxed it," Yuki groaned, Haru pointed out, "Mermaids, remember."

"Yea, the last 'mermaid' wasn't a mermaid it was that crazy octopus thing with the 6 'arm- things'."

"Those were tentacles. And just became you don't like Ursula from the little mermaid-"

Yuki cut in, "Lesson, contracts are bad."

"At least you had hands." Haru pointed out, "And could breath."

"I stink at swimming." Yuki grounsed, pounting.

"No, you sink while swimming." Haru chuckled, not able to resist the pun. "But you can stay aflot until I can come get you."

"True thanks to your turelage, as long as there are no sharks." Yuki shuddered.

" _I'm_ still tramatized by that." Haru agreed. "If there are sharks we stay on lad away from sharks."

"So traveling mirrior, possibly 3, now it says 5 total." Yuki cleared her throat, "Traveling mirrior, spying mirrior, a mirrior to remember, a mirrior to forget. Mirrior to rule the world." Yuki looked over.

"Dramatic." Haru sated. "I feel like that would be a good villain sentence."

"Yea. Like Galadriel's introduction."

Haru tapped her chin, "Well it obvious that the 'mirrior to rule' is going to be Wendel's sucessor." Haru paused, "I'd say that would be Snowdrop. Since she's the only one we have at the moment."

Yuki nodded. "That leaves, 3 traveling, 1 spy, 1 remember, 1 forget."

Haru frowned, "Didn't Wendle mention anything about the number of daughter's he had?"

"After we rescue one of them we'll take her back to White castle and ask."

"Sure. So Winterwoods?"

"It says here that one of the reasons no one is there is because, all the natives are all asleep due to sleeping beauty's curse."

"At least they aren't cold. Wait a minute." Haru frowned turning to look accusingly, "Isn't Aurora or sleeping beauty, Briar rose what ever her name is suppose to have a giant rose bush with thorns that's suppose to protect her?"

Yuki tapped her chin in thought, "I guess it can't grow where there's winter."

"It's suppose to be magic." Haru protested.

"Are you arguing for or against the giant rose thorn wall thing? I can't tell if you want to see it or not."

"But it's suppose to be a plant!"

Yuki gave Haru a long look, "Haru." Yuki said very patently, "We have been over this like 12 times. We, are in a parallel world to our own, with fairy magic, trolls and goblins, heck there might even be elves somewhere about, and when in any of that have you wanted things to follow natural law? You got here through a magic portal for goodness sakes."

"Yes. But that's no reason why it can't be like a regular plant. It doesn't need to guard her the snowstorms and the like would kill, or freeze and intruders." Haru protest, "Dang it I want realism!"

Yuki stared thoughtfully at Haru, "So." Yuki sidestepped Haru's rant and wrote down on the last page of the book. "Free Snow Queen Snowdrop."

Haru pulled the pen, "You cannot ignore me." But she wrote 'mirrior to rule' next to snowdrops name.

"As your best friend I have the right to comment or not on any words that come out of your mouth. Shall we head for the Winter Woods before we lose any more daylight?"

Haru followed Yuki as they started down the steps of the crumbling castle, "So, you _don't_ want to talk about the briar plant?"

"Not at all." Yuki chuckled, "I thought we might as well have the discussion while were moving, so that we could cover more ground."

 **Did you like it? Let me know what you liked or could be improved on. Next stop, Into the winter woods!**

 **Unless they get lost, evil grin.**


	3. Chapter 3 The first rescue

**Chapter 2 here we, go! Don't own Cat Returns or any of the references. ;), care to identify some? I'll give you cookies.**

 **Strike while the iron is hot.**

It was the keen clawing icy breeze that raked across any uncovered skin. Instantly causing goosebumps. That alerted the two travelers that their destination was looming nearby.

"Well, the woods should start some-where close by." Yuki's light tone broke the silence as two travelers came into view. The other, Haru nodded in agreement while looking over Yuki's shoulder at the unfolded map. Haru reached over and pointed to two 'pictures', one was a gate, the other squiggles that seemed to be snow, that served as location markers, "So it's about the same distance as that old tree, and the last bend in the road? What was it?" Haru peereed closer at the paper. "A mile?"

Yuki shrugged, follding the map, as the paper crackled and putting in neatly into her pocket. "We just have to keep following the path. We're more then ¾ths of the way there." Yuki answered brightly.

"Unless the map distances are wrong again." Haru pointed out glumply, stepping over a root, "The map is fine for close places, but distances get a bit off when headed farther off of the Snow kingdom." She made a face, "What's it called anyway?"

"It says moutatin kingdom, but the boarder has definably shifted since then. This map _was_ pretty old." The wind howled, making both girld jump, then they both shivered. Yuki gave a dry smile, "I guess that icy blast means we're getting really close to the winter woods."

Haru chuckled picking up the pace, trying to keep warm, or trying to get errand over with sooner. Yuki kept up easily. Haru voiced her most current thought, "Now I'm kinda wishing we'd have brought jackets." Almost a bit wistful.

Yuki chukled at the joke, "Oh?" She said dryling, "You mean the down covered ones instead of summer gear?" Yuki forwned, "Hey Haru?"

Haru slowed and looked behind her at Yuki, "Yea?"

"Why _didn't_ we bring winter gear?"

Haru paused for a second, "I think," She shook her head a little bemused, "That neither one of us thought that we were going to have to go _into_ the winter woods. I wonder if the snow queen is waiting by the edge to get rescued?" Haru looked over at Yuki hopefully, as if by Yuki's agreement it would be more likely to occur.

"Shouldn't she have some familiar or something? To alert her to intruders?" Yuki asked, "I mean Snow White had dwarphs. Didn't she?"

Haru rounded another turn letting out two low long wolf whistles. Yuki heard, curious as to what would have caused Haru to make the sound as she stepping lightly around the curve. Yuki spotted what had caused Haru to let out the whistle.

One one side it was the usual summer, spring forest, leaves were mostly green some were changing into orange and reds, but on the other side like some giant had drawn a line, and pulling the ground up a by a foot or two was a postcard perfect complete winter. There was at least 2 feet of snow, and deeper into the winter wonderland snow covered empty trees, turning the other side into a child's ideal wintery picture-land.

"That explains why the temperature kept dropping." Haru thought out loud.

Yuki nodded. "I wonder if the barrior moves, hey look by it's edge." Yuki pointed, "See thoses stones?"

Haru shook her head, "Your eyes are better then mine. So I'll take your word for it. Is is a boundry line?"

"Looks like it." Yuki pulled her gaze away from the winter paradise, the snow didn't even brush past the border. Snowflakes started to fall dancing on the wind. Yuki spotted the rest of the path, trailing it until it came over to the border, "I looks like this path leads us right over there."

"What are we waiting for?" Haru hurried down the path, Yuki overtaking her, being the first to get closer to the sunken stone lines were.

"Hello!" Yuki called into the winter forest.

"Miss Snow Queen who's-actually-King-Wendel's-Daughter? You here?" Haru called at the top of her lungs. Waited for an answer. None came.

"Guess she's not home?" Haru looked over thoughtfully down one of the sides of the border. Yuki shrugged, "She's not going to stay in one spot unless she has reason to, _and_ she's been on that side for at least a year or so."

"What makes you so sure?" Haru questioned, over at Yuki perplexed.

"Beacause that's how long it's taken for Wendel to actually call on Ross to help." Yuki answered grumply, "You'd think kings would learn to get help right away instead of sitting around." Yuki told the sky.

"It's not like _they_ are the ones that have to suffer through imprisonment. Or cold." Haru grounsed, "I bet if the _kings_ had to suffer through half of what the princesses do the rescuses would be a lot quicker." Haru quibbed.

"While I agree with you, that would also mean we'd be out of a job." Yuki countered with a grin.

"We'd be out of a job if the royalty didn't make bad bargons." Haru cupped her hands and called into the woods again, but louder, "He-looooooo!"

Yuki suddenly grabbed Haru's arm, Haru stiffened, "What is it?" She asked alarmed when Yuki gripped her arm tighter, Haru dropped her voice asking anxiously, "Is it a monster? Gnomes? Trolls?"

Yuki pointed slowly, staring in adoraction at – Haru blinked a fluffly little bunny? Haru rolled her eyes. On second thought, she wasn't surprised that out of all the animals Yuki had found a bunny.

"Yu-ki." Haru growled annoyed.

Yuki ignored Haru and leaned down, trying to coax the bunny out. "Hello, you adborable ball of fluff." Yuki cooed. Yuki didn't even look at Haru just held out her hand, "Haru, give me a carrot." Haru reached in her pack, and pulled out a bag of sealed rabbit food. Haru set it in Yuki's hand as Yuki opened without looking down, since it was long since second nature, it and spread the nuggets around the brurrow. The white bunny took a half hop out of it's burrow, sticking his furry pink nose towards Yuki's outstretching hand. But mostly to sniff at the pellets. Yuki smiled, "I guess you can't get out from that side either huh?"

Haru stood on her tip toes, ignoring Yuki's coaxing of bunny and tried to peer deeper into the snow covered forest. "You know Thumper is going to be jealous if you get another bunny right?" Haru tried to nip any thoughts of Yuki taking home another rabbit. It was likely going to be useless but Haru had to make the attempt.

"But I love bunnies! Thumper could use a friend." Yuki waited trying to lure the bunny over to the 'summer' side of the wall. "I don't think he can get over." Yuki spoke a little worried.

"If the rabbit can't come over to this side, how are we going to get the princess to come over here?"

Yuki blinked, half turning to Haru, clearly shocked "Why are you worried about the princess when the buny is at stake?"

"What if the bunny is the princess'?" Haru asked. Yuki wasn't paying attention, instead spotting a very large gold eyed lump in a tree blinking at them. "Do you think she has a familiar or something?"

Haru shrugged, "No idea." Haru tutned curious, "Why do you ask?"

Yuki pointed, Haru twisted looking to where Yuki was pointing. "Is that a white owl?"

"Looks more like an eagle to me." Yuki argued.

Haru chuckled, "Don't worry Yuki we won't let him eat your bunny."

"Do you think she's an Usagi?"

"That's japanese for bunny, Yuki. Why would you call a bunny a bunny in a different language if it's still a bunny?"

"You like birds, I like bunnies go be the bird whisperer. Ask if he's seen the princess."

Haru left Yuki, "By that size I think that bird more likely to be a girl then a boy."

"It's worth a try to ask. And tell her not to eat my bunny!" Yuki mock ordered.

"Mr Bird?" Haru called up the tree, the owl's head came up slightly as in golden eyes stared at Haru. "Could you please tell the princess who's the daughter of Wendel that Ross sent us to try and rescue her?"

The owl blinked one eye, then who-hooed. Pulling his head back into his feathers, and lazily closing his eyes. "Well, that didn't do very much." Haru mumbled. As the owl looked so fluffy that it appeared to be a stuffed animal.

"Should we try asking the bunny insteasd?" Yuki asked optimistically. "He doesn't seem very neverous about that owl."

Haru turned walking back the few steps to Yuki, "Can bunnies even talk?"

"Of course buunnies talk!" Yuki defended hotly.

"Let me rephrase, can bunnies say something other then, pet me, I'm adorable, food, silflay, dig-dig, run away."

There was a long pasue as Yuki finnaly acknowledge, "No, not really. But they do have 8 different words for food." She tossed her hair, "I don't like this conversation, call into the woods again."

Haru straightened, and walked around Yuki to call into the white woods again.

There was a faint answer, "Was that a person?" Haru asked Yuki.

Yuki nodded, concentrating, hearing another call. "She's going the wrong way. Yell louder." Yuki have a devilish thought, "You could sing a song and get her to follow. Or maybe yodel?

Haru took a deep breath, deliberately not singing then projected, "Over here!"

"I'm coming!" There was a bit of movement, as Haru starined her eyes to see a figure struggling to reach them. Wrapped in fur, and a thick cloak.

Haru internally winced as she spotted the appraching being's hair whipping around in the wind. The length was definably a females. Haru idly wondered if she had brought a winter hat. The girl looked cold. A hat might be mundane but it worked wonders. After several long minutes of struggling. The girl, lady actually trudged weary but relived over to where Haru and Yuki were.

Haru waved in greeting, as did Yuki, the figure shifted direction to head towards them a little straighter of a line, "You oaky?" Yuki called

The lady nodded, puffing throught the deep snow. Getting towards the edge she stopped, hands on knees as she took in deep breaths. Her breath was puffs of stream. Both girls and new lady took those moments to study each other, the princess had fur sewn around the hood of her cloak to keep her warm, thick boots, and long almost white hair. While her face was pink from the exertion of digging through to come towards the wall, she was pretty. Rounded smooth features that looked princess-y.

She stood after she had gotten her breath back, "I'm the crowned princess of the house of White, daughter of King Wendel the first of his line." She introduced herself with a smile, a real relived one and not one the polite ones that people wear when they actually don't want to see the person, "Thanks for coming."

"No problem." Yuki answered cheerfully. "Is the bird or the bunny yours?"

The princess shook her head, even that move was regal, "They've been keeping me company. But they are more like familiar guardians then anything else. They belong to themselves."

"Can you walk out over of the wall? Or do we need to give you a shovel or put dirt on that side?" Haru asked. In full rescue mode.

The princess smilied and came over, balencing one foot on the snow while reaching over to the 'spring' side. With a surprising lack of grace, and made up for in exuberance, she jumped over the submerged stone wall. Then landing, on actual dirt and not snow she spun and graced Yuki and Haru with a playful curtsy, smiling, "Ta, da!"

Yuki and Haru chuckled, both clapping. "I'd have though it would be a little harder to free you." Yuki admitted freely.

The princess nodded, still all in white from the snow. It blended in on the snow sided yet she stuck out like a snowdrop on the other. The princess admitted with a grimace, "Well I couldn't find the wall to climb over it."

"And with all the snow everything looked the same." Haru guessed. The princess nodded, shifting from one foot to another little nervously. Yuki stood, "Bye bye bunny." Then Yuki smiled, giving her full attention towards the princess, "Did you bring everything you needed?"

The princess nodded. Relived, "I'm just glad to get out of there. Another week and I'd go mad."

Haru gestured back towards the path, before starting on it, and the princess and Yuki followed. "Out of curiosity." Yuki asked, "If anyone could have called out to you, why didn't someone come and get you sooner?"

The princess sighed, waving to the whitle owl as it flew off. "There is some sort of enchantment in the woods I think. It makes people get lost, and if someone not actively looking for me, like a forester or woodsmen, they can't actually find me."

Yuki nodded, then leaned over, as the winter woods faded into behind the bend, slightly teasing but mostly serious, "Would you have rather a woodsmen or forester rescue you?"

The princess laughed easily, after getting out of snowy winter woods area it wasn't much of a surprise, Yuki thought this princess might be normally so giddy "I don't have anyone that I'd like to marry. Mostly likely it will be a political match. My father finds suitors, and then I pick one from the group."

Yuki nodded, "At least you have your choice." Ross' long ago lessons coming back to her mind, 'let them live how they want to live. They have to live with whatever decision they make not you.'

Haru looked back, the princess and Yuki were becoming rather close friends, "And if you like the guy your father is more likely to get grandchildren. But how do _you_ feel about that princess?" Haru asked honestly.

The princess gave an elegant shrug, "I've known the possible suitors for most of my life." She smilied, "But I thank you for looking out for me. Please call me Calliope."

Haru blinked stopping and turning to face the princess, "Like the muse Calliope?"

Calliope nodded eyes bright, overeager "You know about the muses?"

Haru nodded her grin matching Calliope's. "I like reading all about them. Wait." Haru looked startled, with growing alarm, "Do you have 8 sisters?"

Calliope shook her head trying to keep from laughing, at the expression Haru wore, "No I have 4 sisters. There are 5 of us in total." Then it was a real struggle not to laugh at Haru obvious relief.

Yuki took a few steps, then hopped over a root, "Are they named after muses too?" In order to keep the conversation going.

"Yes." Callipoe sighed saidly, both Yuki and Haru looked over concerned, she made a waving motion, "It's just that while they are cursed, no one can say their names."

" _I_ can say names perfectly fine." Haru answered, Calliope looked over hopefully, "Really?"

"Yep. Calliope, Clio, Erato, uh, Mne-mosyne- was muse's mother I think, not yours?" Haru looked over questioningly at Calliope assured Calliope who was looking amused. "No my mothers name was Virginia." She looked intently, "Keep going."

Haru forwned, thinking hard, "Euterpe. No don't tell me. Yuki, I do remember some of the names, Calliope, Clio, Erato, ah," Haru snapped her fingers, looking at her arm, "Euterpe, Melpomene, the poem one, Polyhmnia, Terpsichore, Thalia, and Urania." Haru looked triumphant. Then mentally counted, Yuki held up 9 fingers, before marching over, "Show off. How'd you remember the ones you always forget?"

Haru held up her hand, the last couple of names were clearly visible in permanent sharpie marker, "I might have looked up and written down all the names I couldn't remember before we left." She admitted candidnly, "I got tired of not being able to remember them. But to be fair Calliope." Haru included Calliope into the conversation, "You _did_ say to to speak the names, not to rectite them from memory."

Calliope gave a big throaty, laugh, "Oh, that was funny,-" Calliope looked over, "I'm sorry I didn't catch your names."

"I'm Yuki." Yuki answered, "The smarty one is Haru."

 **What did you guys think? Let me know in the comments below, if there was anything that you liked or didn't like so that I can improve. Have a great week everyone! Chapter three is on it's way, and dare I say? Baron might be making an appearance.**

 **Yet as YarningChick pointed out, how is he going to navigate Haru's world as a cat? Tehe.**

 **Thank you YarningChick for your reviews!**


	4. Chapter 4 aftermath of the first rescue

**All-righty. A bit of a challenge for me, try to post a chapter every week or sooner. But to make them good. Anyone else want to try a possible write a story in two mouths like Whisper of the Heart?**

 **Don't own The cat Returns, if I did I'd stare at Baron all day, (and go on adventures). Listening to that gorgeous accent of his. Ah, please forgive me while I swoon.**

 **Baron stares at body on sofa. Turns to audience, "Please do tell if there is anything that you partially like or could be improved upon. The Bureau will always be open to you be it day or night. Enjoy the chapter."**

The path back was easier, and all three of the traveling companions were trying to keep the convesation easy, yet there were some awkward pauses since they were essentially strangers. At least Calliope was to the other two. Calliope had discreetly inquired about to the state of her sisters, (the lack of rescues being the most prominent). Yuki and Haru shared what accurate information they could, the fact said sisters were still alive being about it. Freely admitting neither knew what King Wendel was doing about the other princesses, or the state of the kingdom.

After being alone for so long it was, rather nice Calliope thought that Haru and Yuki were honest enough to say they didn't know. If she had been rescued from some other member of the House of White they would no doubt be trying very hard to portray themselves in the best light. If on the off chance that she might marry them on the return. It was at those times Calliope regretted being crown princess. Honestly, complete blessed blunt honesty was a relief not to have to wonder about motives.

Yuki had relayed what both had heard, but reminded that it might not be accurate. After the line of conversation was exhausted, it was Calliope who found herself on the other end of the Yuki's choice of topic.

"It it has a queen, wouldn't it be Queendom?"

Thank goodness for mundane curiosity about dynastic squabbles, Calliope thanked mentally. Being grilled since before she could remember about inheritance laws and, Calliope couldn't really recall off hand everything she had learned. Yet explaining something so simple was as easy as breathing, "Usually it is, but depending on the heir it's king or queendom. If the ruler is new, it reverts to queendom. It was founded by a women after all, my ancestress had ideas about what a queendom should be called." Calliope felt her court mask slipping away even father, "The House of White tends to have more daughters then sons. My father was an exception, so to mark the occasion, it reverted to kingdom." Calliope smiled ruefully, "My father was very young when he took the throne, and the advisors thought it best to humor him. The odd thing is, if your at court it's kingdom. Out in the woods it's still a queendom." Calliope fanned herself, "It's a large enough country, and borders quite a few of the others. When I inherit it will go back to being queendom in fact as well as name. Though," Calliope grinned at Yuki's rapt attention, "I might just keep kingdom for the sake of variation."

"Can you rule, or what's it called?" Yuki frowned thinking, "Succeed your father? Take the throne before your father dies?" Yuki realized at Calliope odd expression how that must have sounded, "I don't mean to offend you, or your father but _you_ seem to have a better head on your shoulders then Wendel does."

Calliope looked away, "My father has had much more experience. He's what the country needed after the candy witch war." Calliope looked on ahead not really seeing anything, "My education was deliberately aimed at ruling during peace time." Reaching up to wipe sweat her forehead, "My father tries his best but after the untimly death of my mother," She shrugged, looking over a little sadly, catching her breath, "It wasn't easy being a father, and a ruler, while trying to teach us how to survive our ordeals, and then after if we survived."

Yuki and Haru didn't comment. "Oh." Calliope started, grasping to steer the conversation back to friendlier waters, "Yes, I can take the throne, while my father is still alive."

Calliope looked over hopefully, wondering if Yuki was going to ask another question. It kept her mind off the discomfort of walking. Not only did travel go faster, Calliope realized that silence, that was so prevalent in the winter woods, especially after a new snowfall, since those happened so frequently. Dampened all sound. Calliope remembered several time where she had screamed just to hear something. Outside of the endless winter, it still seemed like a dream, all the vivid colors of not-white. With two people that she didn't have to guard against. Honest motives. Plus the sounds, Calliope felt the hair on the back of her neck prickle whenever it started to get too quiet. Knowing that Yuki might be chattering because she was talkative or because she herself was didn't matter. As long as there was some absence of that dreary oppressive soundlessness. Calliope scrambled mentally for some safe conversation thread. After the silence grew uncomfortable, but more so actually seeing Calliope starting to panic as the quite wore on, Yuki asked, "Why did your parents name the 5 of you after the muses? It doesn't seem like that the usual thing to do."

Haru looked back grinning impishly, "Not unless it a-mused your mother."

That got another very real laugh out of Calliope, and a groan from Yuki. After Calliope stopped giggling, the light easy air returning at Haru attempt of a joke. "It was for insperation to each of us. To help us that even though the muses are immortal they help each other and when they come together are strong. It also helped because, well," Calliope looked sheepish, "Each of the muses has a strength."

"So," Haru tried to put words to her feelings, "Whenever you gals get really depressed or life seems unfair your reminded of you name?"

Calliope nodded, her expression was one of remembered fondness, awareness as she slowly come back to the present as if sharing a precious secret that she wasn't quite sure how it would be received, "I can sing. Not as well as court musicians, or minstrels, but it's passable and I do enjoy it." Calliope admitted in a rush. Face flushing with quiet pride, and elation of revealing such a precious thing.

"We will have to hear it sometime." Haru grinned, "Though I think you might not feel like it. Your breathing is turning a bit ragged. Are you _sure_ your all right?" Haru pressed. "We can rest for a bit."

Calliope shook her head, then thought better of it. Meeting Haru's gaze Calliope nodded truly apoligtic, "I'm sorry for dragging behind you two."

"No worries!" Yuki answered brightly, "Haru walks fast anyway. And your still adjusting to outside winter woods. Anyone's reserves would be low." Yuki thought for a second, while they all slowed, and Haru spotted a big dry rock to sit on, led the other to over. Yuki carried on, "Not only are you in winter gear, but you have this monstrous thick coat," Yuki reached over and tugged on the item in question, "Uh, cloak. It's bound to make you warmer then us, and we're used to traveling." Calliope gave Yuki a smirk, "Because I've been knee deep in snow for the last year?" Calliope wondered if Yuki was thinking out loud, or was trying to make her feel better.

"It does hamper moblilty." Haru teased.

"At least I stayed mostly warm!" Callipe volleyed back. Deciding that Yuki was trying to make her feel better.

"Are you _sure_ you don't want to take off the cloak? Even looking at it is starting to make me hot." Yuki tried. "I can carry it for you."

Ah. Calliope thought amused, here comes the mother henning. Calliope shook her head, some of her hair falling into her face, Absently she brushed them back. "It's not that. Here, lean over, I'll show you." Reaching up Calliope tugged the bow at her throat away from her neck toward Yuki. It securely held the cape neck in place. "The knots are frozen, and only my father can remove them."

"Well that was fine when you were in the wood so it wouldn't get lost but," Yuki voiced.

"But now that I'm out it's causing problems." Haru added, then asked, "I don't suppose there is an off chance you could pull it over your head?"

Calliope took the fastening and tried to pull up. She got as far as her mouth, before her hair, nose, and her head it wouldn't go any father up. Calliope let her hands drop, the fastening also fell to her neck and shoulders.

Yuki reached over taking the fastening in a hand and rubbing a thumb and pointer finger against the sturdy fastenings. Moving it from one side of Calliope's neck to the other. Calliope was about to ask something when Haru caught her eye, and gave a little shake of her head. Yuki abruptly dropped the fastenings and pivoted towards Haru. Holding out her hand, while Haru slipped off the backpack and held it so Yuki could pull it over and setting it at her lap. Yuki unzipped it and Yuki asked, "Haru do we have any scissors?"

"I don't think so. But I might have a pocket knife and glue," Haru thought for a second eyes looking away as she thought, while Yuki rummaged in the pack, grumbling, "You _always_ bring glue." Haru shook her head, "I don't think we packed any cutting scissors."

"Darn." At Calliope leaned over to get a better look at the satchel. It was a curious thing, looking like it was made from canvas with something shiny for closely stitched interlocking lines, Yuki sat back up, shaking her head, Haru sighted in sympathy, before pointedly looking at Calliope who was studying the backpack with undisguised curiosity. Yuki caught and correctly interpreted the look, Yuki cleared her throat, Calliope jumped a little, Yuki leaned over, "I was _going_ to see if you'd be okay with me shortening the cloak." Calliope shook her head, "That's what Haru thought." Yuki amended, then brightened, "But I could just carry it like a your train, almost bridal," Yuki's expression changed to one of disapproval, "but if we run into any guys they might get the wrong idea."

"I was meaning to ask about that." Calliope sized on the topic, waving a hand, "I thought I was imagining it, but we are covering more distance then by rights we should, even at the clip we are going. I thought I was seeing things. But," Calliope looked over at the very green trees, "It's early spring. Not even summer where the trees would start to change color." She pointed to another branch, "And these ones are just beginning to bud."

"Oh, that's the 7 league boots." Haru answered casually.

Calliope frowned, looking over at Haru, then to Yuki who would be more likely to explain, Calliope parroting, "7 league boots?"

"To be fair it's closer to 3ish league boots, Haru's wearing one and I'm wearing the other." Yuki explained, "It makes traveling around much easier."

"And less time consuming." Haru added. "You can cover _a-lot_ more ground, much more comfortable."

"How does that even work?" Calliope protested, "Could you tell me? I'm familiar with most footwear, but," Calliope tapped her chin, "I thought." She said slowly, puzzling it out, "There might have been elves who were cobblers who made some sort of fast travel league boots." Calliope looked at Yuki's shoes, they weren't the same pair, one was more of a leather boot. The other like thick leather slipper, "Are they the shoes that when a person wearing them can cross 7 leagues in a step? But I haven't ever heard of 3 league boots."

"It's the same idea, it compresses a day's travel into one step. More or less." Haru grinned delighted at Calliope's avid interest bordering on fascination.

"But it slows when there are people or places around." Yuki added. "At least ours do."

"In essence as long as you have a specific location in mind these boots will in theory take you there."

"But 7 league boots don't, so you wind up missing your destination. So we just have 3 league boots." Yuki's amused grin was dancing back, "It's easier to stop when you get close, and walk the rest of the way normal, rather then missing it all together and backtracking." Suddenly Yuki looked chagrined, at a memory, "It took _forever_ to get back to that hat shop in Wales."

"Then how am I keeping up with you two if your traveling so quickly?" Calliope pointed out the flaw, regretting to take away the magic, no the wonder of traveling and traversing such distance at speed.

"Because Haru and I arn't walking side by side, and we each have a half boot." Yuki answered matter of fact.

Haru looked back to Calliope, then sat on the ground, holding up her right shoe, "It might be easier if I explain it." Haru paused until she had Calliope's attention, "Yuki and I are both wearing 3 league boots. But they arn't the same pair of boots." Haru altered Yuki's explanation from before.

"Does that still work with the image in your mind?" Calliope asked still studying Haru's right shoe. It looked like Yuki's, a slipper with a thick bottom and supple leather.

"Sort of." Haru hedged, "What we did was put the other boot, ah." Haru tried to think of a better way to explain, "Let's try this. My other boot and Yuki's are at your dad's castle. So it doesn't really matter where or what direction we go in, because the boots want to be together. Rather like a homing bird."

"That's one way of making sure you don't get lost." Calliope joked dryly.

"Oh it's still easy to get lost if you want to." Haru assured, "Sometime when your don't. But since the court mage and multiple others want you to come back, their are," Haru paused searching for the right word. "Additional highly fueled a second spells that sort of, cradle you between Yuki and me. While we're using the boots." Haru looked over at Calliope with a small sheepish smile, "I hope that made sense."

"So _that's_ why only one of you talks at a time." Calliope realized as awareness dawned.

"And we were being poilte." Haru added, giving Calliope a much happier but no less mischievous a wry grin, "Yuki and I can talk for days, about things that would make very little sense to you, and neither of us want you to feel left out." Yuki snorted, "She would too understand."

"Not in context she wouldn't, and your more loveable then I am." Haru shot back.

Yuki opened her mouth to protest but Calliope interrupted, still curious, "So if I'm being cradled between the two of you, how am I still keeping up?"

Haru peered at Calliope, "You didn't realize?" At Calliope's complete look of incomprehension, Haru gentled her tone, very patently "When somebody get's cursed, it leaves scars." Haru waited for a moment, opting for direct honestly, "Some heal quickly and some don't heal at all. And with the rules different for each and every enchanted magical forest," Haru trailed off.

"What rules?" Calliope pressed, determined, then realized what Haru was hinting at, "Wait, the one where only enchanted creatures can leave?"

"That's one of them." Haru agreed, carefully neutral in her response. "To be fair it _was_ meant as protection from humans, but things have a way of being turned against it's original purpose of the caster is determined enough."

Things started to click, as Calliope turned towards Haru, then back to Yuki as she was puzzling out what had happened at the border with their expressions, or rather what they though might have happened at the border. " _That's_ why you and Yuki were so surprised when I was able to leave so easily." Calliope realized.

"Yep." Haru agreed. Then continued calmly, "If you think about it, a normal human wouldn't have been able to survive a whole year in the winter woods." Haru met her eyes, "Not even a seasoned outdoorsmen would have been able to survive mouths without fresh supplies.

Calliope felt her eye's start to sting with tears, "And you two still came?"

Haru nodded gravely, but Yuki put a hand on Calliope's shoulder, and said with quiet steel in her voice, "We _weren't_ going to leave you there."

Calliope swallowed, squashing her tears, they weren't going to leave her. "So, I'm enchanted?" Calliope looked at her hands, turning them over, they looked the same as they always had, "I don't feel any different." Calliope looked over to Yuki, asking, "Do I look different?" Yuki shook her head. "Not to me." Both looked over at Haru, she seemed to be trying not to laugh, "And when would we have seen you before you were cursed Calliope dear?" Calliope flushed, Yuki wrapped an arm around Calliope, "It's okay, we're all friends."

Haru gave an elegant shrug shifting and then stood. Yuki got to her feet as well, and extended a hand to Calliope who took it and got to her feet. Walking along side Haru this time. Yuki smiled encouragingly, and waved a go on gesture.

"So, is there and other reason why I'm keeping up with you two?" Calliope asked Haru. Now on a little surer footing.

Haru shrugged, "Honestly? I'm not 100 percent sure. You see, there is more then one person casting the exact same spell. But one of them is trained and one isn't."

Calliope frowned, "How can you tell?"

"Because a trained court wizard or whatever you call him wouldn't be using magic when his emotions are running so high." Haru growled.

Calliope looked back to Yuki who gave her another, go on, gesture. "That's bad right? How bad is it?"

Haru let out a loud sigh, "In order to use magic have to have some emotion, calm steady sedate, but when magic is used and it's highly charged, magic picked on the first thing it likes and amplified it to a degree that it wasn't expecting." Haru looked over at Calliope.

"I'm try simpler, your familiar with dams?"

"Yes."

"If you need only a little bit of water, and open the dam a teeny bit, you'd expect to get a little bit of water and not the entire river."

"So your getting the entire river of water." Calliope reiterated.

"Yep. What makes it worse is that all of the caster's emotions are partially strong to such and extent that it is increasing the regular spells." Haru lamented, "You know what they say, love is a very powerful amplifier. But it doesn't predict what emotion strengthens." Haru looked over at Calliope little proud, "You at least will be happy to know that there are several people that love you dearly, and while they are trying to be helpful, it's not it's so mudded that I can't tell who's doing what." Haru gave Calliope an amused look, "Don't look at me like that. I have limits, just like everyone else. In my case a _lot_ of limits. Most self-inflcated, plus of ton of rules that I have to follow."

"More like guidelines." Yuki sniped.

Haru looked over her shoulder irritated, loudly declaring, "I havn't gotten into any trouble yet, unlike a certain other arrow shooting co-worker I know."

Yuki smirked crossing her arms, "On of these days your going to use your 'rules' like a bungee cord, and I can't wait to see the look on everyone's' face when you do. _Especially_ Ross's."

"Are there any side effects?" Calliope asked, "I don't remember that part of my lessons. I was," She blushed, "A little distracted by my tutor."

Instead of asking about what she did remember about the lesson, like one of the court members or tutors would, Haru showed just how much she was wasn't from the kingdom with, and very interested, "Was he cute?"

"Cute?" Calliope repeated.

"Handsome, dreamy." Yuki clarified, also looking eager for Calliope's answer.

"Oh, yes, very." Calliope sighed happily as the mental image of Benno came. Dark hair, dreamy blue eyes. Calliope pulled herself away from his mental image, back to reality but it wasn't enough as Haru was grinning a bit devilishly, before lightly teasing, "You _like_ him."

Calliope looked away, then admitted with a wrench of her heart, "He went away to study under a prince. I haven't seen him in years."

"Mabey he'll come back." Haru suggested giving a very conspiratorial look at Yuki who was wearing the same expression, devilish smirk.

"How would you know that?" Calliope asked looked up started at a impish Haru. Why was Calliope get the feeling like she was standing in the way of an avalanche and there was nothing she could do to get out of the way? Not that she wanted to, but the option to flee would have been considerate.

Haru leaned in, looking like a cat who had just gotten a jarful of cream, "Beascse, _we're"_ Haru waved at Yuki and herself, "Going to be keeping an eye out for your dear Benno, and if we see him, we'll send him your way."

Calliope protested, "You can't do that! He's always very busy with important matters to the prince."

Haru scoffed, "Oh, I think not. That prince is very self contained." Her dancing grin was back, "I think he's feeling rather lonsesome beside that pond holding that spring of white lilacs thinking of you." Haru smirk grew wider as she shared another wordless conversation with Yuki, "Do you think a hunting accident where he's have to be nursed back to health? Or the older more mythic of white deer one?"

Yuki shook her head exasperated, "Your over thinking it again. Let's just ask them directly before we stage any deliberately engineered 'accidental' hunting injures."

"Your no fun." Haru complained theatrically. "That's the best part."

"Just because they are your favorite and you excel in doing so is no reason to take it out on people's ankles." Yuki informed Haru staunchly. Then pointed accusingly at Haru, "And your _always_ thinking up love matches that can be solved in a much less dramatic fashion."

"I _like_ convoluted plots. I'm a sucker for the big chase scene before the end where the two rush and embrace, can I help if I'm a romantic traditionalist?" Haru looked over at Calliope who was trying to smother her laughter with her hands.

"You, my best friend," Yuki said gravely, " Are heartless."

"Can't miss what I never had." Haru zinged back.

Calliope blinked startled, realizing something that Haru mentioned in passing. "Hey wait, How did you know what white lilac was the flower I gave him when he left?" Calliope demanded, had they been seen at the time?

"I didn't. You just told me." Haru answered so quickly it had to be the truth.

"Regardless." Yuki pulled back to the precious topic, skipping up next to Calliope, "The Prince would find some sort of reason to come vist sooner or later. If only to stop Benno from plucking all the flowers off the bushes. The prince might even suggest that he even bring the prince along."

"The gardens are looking pretty bare." Haru agreed. With a chuckle, "The king might just want the two away so the gardens ca repair the damage."

Calliope shook her head at their antics. "While it would be nice to see him again." Calliope thought wistfully, before reality came crashing down, "I don't think it's very likely."

"Never say never." Haru warned lightly, "It has a way of showing up in the most usual of places. At the most inconvent of times."

Calliope felt herself stumble. Then when she came to, she was laying on the ground with Haru and Yuki hovering over her. "Are you sure there isn't a barrio-"

Haru lightly tapped with Calliope's cheek, with two light fingers, "She's coming too. Calliope? How do you feel? Anything odd?"

Calliope looked up, them frowneing, "How'd I get down here?"

Haru let out a breath of relief, then shifted as Yuki maneuvered around Haru to get to Calliope's other side. Reaching down Yuki gently touched her fingers to Calliope's neck right where the pluse was.

Haru stayed quiet and Calliope looked between the two, curious.

"Yuki's doing a passive scan to see what caused your blackout." Haru answered keeping her voice in the tones Calliope realized were to keep a sick person calm.

Yuki pulled her fingers away, thoughtful, "Well whatever caused it is it's under a time limit. I think it was to pull you back if you got outside of the wall barrio. But with how much distance we've covered caused the abrupt break away from what ever it was that sustained her in the woods."

"So, the woods sustained Calliope in exchange for her being what? It's guardian?"

Yuki shook her head, "I think it was more using dormant magic. That Calliope didn't need to surive." Yuki looked back at Calliope, "There is no way to tell if the spell was meant to fade away with distance or bring you back if you got too far."

"Well it's broken now right?" Calliope asked, not wanting to deal with another spell.

"As far as I can tell. You might not be able to work any magic, since it's pulled that part out."

"So what am I?"

"Well it seems like you _were_ a winter fairy."

"Wouldn't Calliope melt then?" Haru asked. "Winter fairy's are meant to be by well winter. Snowy cold winter."

"Only a creature of the winter wood can leave." Yuki pointed out, then turned to the princess, "That's what you said right?"

Calliope nodded, "If I were a fariy, I could leave by I'm just a human." She blinked, "If I was a human I wouldn't melt right? How do we make sure curse doesn't come back?"

"We'd better make sure." Haru informed Calliope, "As far as we can tell right now your un-cursed. With a 'curse begone' potion that state would be unchangeable, but it's going to take a few days to work." Haru glanced at Yuki, "We _do_ have that bottle right?" Yuki nodded, then looked up at the sky, "Even if she's part winter fairy she won't deal well with summer heat."

"And it's going to get hotter." Haru thought out loud, thinking. She nodded after coming up with a plan, "Here's what I suggest. Why don't we travel at night when it's cooler and you can adjust a little bit more?" Haru suggested.

Calliope nodded in agreement, "I never thought I get warm again but now it feels like I'm really hot."

"Curses or enchantments leave scars. So there was bound to be a side effect." Haru gave a small smile, "Yuki and I will help out where we can, but on the bright side. If you look at it a different way, all you have to do is find a stone castle, and stay there for a bit. It'll cool you down in summer and warm you a bit in winter."

"Speaking of." Yuki looked over pointly at Haru who shrugged, "Go ahead Yuki, it's not like I've got any other better ideas."

"You," Yuki asked Classira, a little nervously, "Don't have any problems with staying in a crumbly castle do you?"

"No. Not as long as it's cool and I have a roof over my head why?"

Haru grinned, "I see where your going with this Yuki."

"The place where we started from is likely to be one of the step mother's castles." Yuki downplayed the importance.

Calliope blinked, "From my great great grandmother's time? You mean the original evil queen's castle?"

"Yep. The roofs half done but the underground areas are warm and dry. Quite comfortable."

"Not even damp until go down another floor." Haru added better points, "There's a fresh water spring, and it might be easier for you to recover a bit more until move on."

Yuki complented, "The water's fresh, and while we know your dad is likely worried he'd rather you be safe. Instead of pushing yourself and getting sick. There isn't really a rush to get you to the palace, and your sisters, at last message were doing fine."

Calliope nodded, slowly. It was the best plan she had to work with, "I won't lie, I'd appreacte getting to rest, and sleeping in an actual bed, but I'm worried about my sisters."

"The good news is that we should be able to use that castle as a jumping point to rescuse another of you sisters, depending on who it is."

"Ross only let's us have one mission at a time." Haru explained, "Last time we spent days looking for the wrong kind of butterfly."

Yuki mock glared, "They were pretty!"

"And all the ones we needed were night butterflys." Haru refuted.

Calliope let out a giggle. "Moths?"

"It's a long story, there was potions involeved and-" Yuki waved a hand, "It's a long story."

"How far away is the caslte?" Calliope changed the subject. Getting to her feet gingerly.

"A day and a half walking disatnce from here ish." Yuki looked over at Haru, "If you wanted you could go on ahead, and buy stuff to cool down Calliope before we get there."

Haru brightened, "A chance to go shopping with the academy's credit card? I'm game." Haru looked up at the sky, "What do you think we'd need? Ice is likely."

"Get some of thoses yeti, keep the drinks cold things." Yuki asked, "It wouldn't hurt to get a few fans, ones that are battery operated since there isn't any electricity here. Let's see," Yuki thought about it, "Coolers, ice box, cold drinks."

"I'm getting the bikes from the shed." Haru added.

Yuki looked over frowning, "You think the path is open enough for that?"

Haru smilied, "If there's a bit of wind, it will cool of Classia. It'll be faster too, we'd be walking normally anyway." Haru looked at Calliope, "We'd just need to teach you how to ride."

"I can ride a horse." Calliope offered.

"A bike is not a horse." Yuki stated, "Do you think there might be a bike for two? Calliope might be able to double up with one of us."

"Dunno. I can look, but riding a bike is pretty fun. Let's see , ice, drinks, coolers, fans, bikes." Haru listend off, "Am I forgetting anything?"

"Snacks." Yuki answered instantly.

Haru rolled her eyes, "I thought that was a given."

"Never hurts to make sure. Plus it's monday tommarow. You can meet with Hiromi and get more of that candy."

Haru chuckled, "I'll bring ice cream too."

Yuki ginned at Calliope, stating with pride, "Your going to have so many cold treats your not gonna know witch is your favorite."

Haru stood, "I'm super excited abought this so, since I'm not going to sleep at all. I'm gonna head over to the place now." Haru winked, "I'll get a head start, and I should be back sooner with the supplies."

"We'll meet you there. Calliope and I are going to take it a bit slow, since there isn't a need to hurry."

Haru nodded, "Keep cool!" Then laughing at her joke headed down the path at a jog.

 **Ta da! Leave a review to let me know what you think.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Here we go, I don't own cat returns just the plot bunnes that run off with me.**

 **Humnn, maybe I should throw a saddle on them?**

Baron heard an bell go off. "Excuse me." He stood and nodded to Prince Lune. Who without hesitaction took advantage of his retreat. "I think we can put off this meeting." He stood and headed for the door, Baron right behind him. Beyond the door, they both looked at each other then broke into a run.

It was too good to be true to get out of a stuff old meeting that would no doubt lead to the Cat king trying to find some way to marry the two off.

Pretty much the only thing that could get either out was either an embergency, that were few and far between, and it had to be a major one since the cat king had gotten wise to any 'convenet' cases that had to be attenced to that very second. Or the possibilty that one of boys were concidering a lady.

Baron and Lune ran in silnce, until Lune flung open a portrate, and lept inside baron shutting it behind him. They moved at slower pace now that there wasn't the risk of the cat king or one of the servents following or spotting where they were headed.

Baron shook his head the last time that had happened. It had been on the human news for weeks. Ross' firebirds and other schools set up in the 10th kingdom had thrown fits.

It hadn't just been the cat tails that had sprouted in every available space, but the cat king hadn't quite told anyone, and had tried to get mice, to eat the catails. A complelty ususless gesture, as mice mearily multipiled.

Before Ross's firebirds had taken that in hand just as soon as he had heard about it.

Rushing a course on pied piper, to get all the mice to one spot where couldn't leave.

Baron rubbed his ears, it hadn't occurred to the cat king that he had sent over nearly all of the breeding female mice. Witch led not only to a mice shortage, but the plants used to feed the mine, mostly cattails had taken advange of mice's absence to proliferate. Baron doubted that there was an open space left.

He did have to admite that the cat kingdom did look very idillic, almost like a praie with all that grass. Watching the wind make waves in the grass was one of his soothing pastimes. Plus a whole bunch of poetry about it had started to become very popular.

Lune knelt, crawling into an old broom closet. Before pushing open the door. Exiting into an old ballroom.

Baron followed with praticed ease, standing upright with relife. He spotted the fading paint and chipped stonework. His anger flared again. The cat kingdom had to make do without it's comforts since Ross had insisted upon the usual payment after the three cat advisiors had gone back on their word.

Baron gave a loud sigh. Not that he wouldn't have done the same thing. Holding mice that multipied in number teneded to fray anyones nevers, much less stupdents and apprtices that had never experence mice herding before.

Ross had complained bitterly about losing so many of his promicing students becase they were tramitised, utterly terrified of mice.

Baron had listend very paciently, apoligized repeatedly. And did his best to renburse Ross, yet the loss of so many stutents, and the repuation of his academny was utterly shot.

Baron had been staggered, and feeling much less charitable towards the Cat king, when he got the numbers back.

The loss of sudents was one thing, loss of propertly and having to buy the services from other guilds to help with making humans forget it ever happened was another.

But when Baron had realized how much Ross had invested in each of his student's, not just tutors and his personal time, but the lessons isterments, then for nearly every student to just quit. Ross equipment was on lease, so he couldn't even return them as his school, his familiy work was litterly bleeding out.

Ross had been a different and very bitter person ever since.

And the cat kingdom's coffers were very much empty.

Baron still never wanted to go near a pied pipe ever again. Thoses were ridiculsly expensive.

But he had to get fish crakers, not only as a reward for the varitble warren of well bevaded kittens. Yet his father had demanded the very stupid holiday.

Baron still coudn't belive that his uncle had tried to stop payments to Ross. Then again, Baron told himself dryle this was his uncle he was thinking about.

Ross had retailied. He must have been in a very peeved mood. Since he had simply triggered the biggest fish pond to rise towards the sky.

Not an unusall occurace since cats got the fertilizer from fish poo and sold it. Or cleaned the bottom of the pond so it would be easier for fish to swim in.

No, Ross had kept the fish on the ground, and barbicued every single fish he could find.

Ross had a very long arm.

And a very detailied knowledge of where the best fish were.

Baron and Lune had to scramble to try salvage anything. To add insult to injury, Ross sent a very curt letter to the cat king, informing him in no uncertain terms that every other kingdom knew about the incidents, and that a snowstorm was headed their way. Since his sister was going to be the one handeling the broken deal from that point on. As well as the Cat Kingdom was going to pay her fees directly.

No one ever wanted to get on the bad side of the former moutain princess. Now ruling as Queen White the first.

Needless to say, the kindgom was very luckly that Queen White had a soft spot for cats. Or they would have still been waiting for a thaw.

That was why, Baron pulled himself out of his memories as he realized Lune was shaking his shoulder. He was going to personally find that human, steal that ring back, or just ask for it nicely if it turned out she was studing under Ross as whatever he was calling his firebirds now. While praying Ross never found out about it. While getting fish crackers, for a riducils holiday that was his uncle complete fault.

Baron looked over at Muta, while Lune pulled Baron his hind paws.

Muta's ear's pricked forward in concern as Baron walked towards the portal. He hefted his empty sack, "I've got the crakers. You get the ring."

Lune spoke up, "Don't forget, if you need help to call for Toto. He knows the human world pretty well." Lune looked a little uncomfrtable, "And I'll need your clothes Baron."

Muta gave an evil grin, "That bird brain is still around?" Baron pulled off his jacket and quickly divested himself of clothing.

"No fighting Muta." Baron said sharply, "We don't want any more trouble." Lune gestured to Baron's head, and Baron sighed, pulling off his favoirte hat.

Muta grounsed sourly, "All right I won't attack the little birdy." Muta stepped through the portal. Vanishing from the room. He let out a surprised meow.

"Keep in mind." Lune call after Muta, "It's human sized!"

"You couldn't have told me that before?" Muta hollared back.

Baron nodded at his cousin and stepped smarly through the portal. Feeling the magic against his fur, and waiting for Lune's last bit of advice.

"And walk on 4 paws!" Lune added as an after thought.

Baron looked around, there were plants, and plently of trees. He followed Muta as he waddled towards a path, that opened. Baron froze insticvly as he beheld the 'human' world. Metal carradges, the strange smells but most of all. Baron looked at where Muta was grinning evilly.

"Have we falled into the land of giants?"


	6. Not a chapter

Hello guys, just wanted to give you a heads up, I've got the story, or at least the next several chapters done. But before I post them just wanted to make sure they were given to my new beta.

I'm sorry that I have not posted, but I will still try to post these as soon as I can.

Thank you guys.


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